Luer fitting or luer lock connections are utilized in fluid flow conduits having medical or surgical applications. Typically, a male member has a slightly tapered body and is connected in fluid communication with a female member, which has a similarly tapered bore for receiving the male member. A coupling device or locking member commonly has an internally threaded collar. The locking member may further be mounted upon the body of the male member.
One purpose of the locking member is to prevent fluid leakage between the male and female members. Another purpose of the locking member is to maintain the connection between the male and female members.
However, luer fitting connectors are conventionally very small in size. Hence, with conventional designs, it can be difficult for an operator to maintain manual control of the luer fitting connector assembly, as well as rotate the locking member about the male and female members by hand.
Additionally, conventional luer fitting connector assemblies are often assembled by mounting the locking member onto the male member from the rear. The male member may have a restraining mechanism for restricting the longitudinal movement of the locking member after it is mounted upon the male member. In some conventional designs, the locking member has a plateau shaped protrusion for engagement with the restraining mechanism. In such assemblies, the locking member may be mounted upon the male member by forcing the plateau shaped protrusion over the restraining mechanism.
However, the male member exerts compression forces on the locking member as the plateau shaped protrusion is slid over the restraining mechanism from the rear. The compression forces applied tend to shorten the radial height of the plateau shaped protrusion. Yet, the plateau shaped protrusion must have enough elasticity to sufficiently limit the permanent plastic deformation, if any, that it experiences as a result of the applied compression forces such that the locking member cannot subsequently inadvertently “jump” back over the restraining mechanism. Thus, conventional designs disclose plateau shaped protrusions that experience compression forces that may lead to plastic deformation and the inadvertent separation of the locking and male luer fitting members after the locking member and the male luer fitting member are coupled together.
The present invention alleviates one or more of the shortcomings described above.